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^I don't think that's quite what he said. IIRC it was more along the lines of "if it weren't for the Dark Ages we'd be colonising space by now". What happened in the Dark Ages was a massive technological regression across Europe caused (by and large) by the collapse of the Roman Empire and the final death throws of Byzantium.

While it may have been a contributing factor in a social context, the spread of Christianity in the west and Islam in the middle east and north Africa was more a symptom of that collapse than a direct cause. They were basically filling a void left by the old religions. Indeed, it was thank to the Islamic nations that a lot of Greek and Roman knowledge was preserved while we were busy burning witches and playing musical thrones (think musical chairs, but with more beheadings and less music.)

^I don't think that's quite what he said. IIRC it was more along the lines of "if it weren't for the Dark Ages we'd be colonising space by now". What happened in the Dark Ages was a massive technological regression across Europe caused (by and large) by the collapse of the Roman Empire and the final death throws of Byzantium.

While it may have been a contributing factor in a social context, the spread of Christianity in the west and Islam in the middle east and north Africa was more a symptom of that collapse than a direct cause. They were basically filling a void left by the old religions. Indeed, it was thank to the Islamic nations that a lot of Greek and Roman knowledge was preserved while we were busy burning witches and playing musical thrones (think musical chairs, but with more beheadings and less music.)

It is important to note that both Christian Europe and Islamic Middle East was built on on pagan Greek and Roman achievements as their territories covered these once pagan areas. In Islam's case, you have to include Zoroastrian Persian's culture and architecture .

For example, the dome you see on most mosque, that is actually a Zoroastrian and Byzantine architecture feature. It predates Islam by thousands of years. Russian churches have some similarities with mosques because both have Byzantine influence. The ancient Zoroastrian fire temples had huge courtyards and the Muslims copied that for their mosque design as well.

The famous crescent and star symbol is also originally an imperial Sassanid Persian symbol. When the Arabs conquered Persia in the 7th century, they adapted many aspects of the great Persian culture.

The Zoroastrian Persians also originated the concept of angels which the Jewish, Islamic and Christian mythologies later copied and modified.

As we all know that the age of enlightenment happened when we all got less religious. Religion was responsible for the Dark Ages negative effects.

__________________"I've tried atheism and I can't stick at it: I keep having doubts. That probably sums up my position."

Yeah, like I said the Islamic nations did a much better job of preserving the actually useful knowledge of ancient Greece & Rome. Mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering etc. By comparison, Europe squandered that legacy. I'm just amazed we managed to make such a huge comeback post-renaissance.

Interesting about the Zoroastrian Persians. I had often assumed that the Judo-Christian angel mythology with all the elaborately arranged the various spheres of heaven, choirs of angels etc. smacked of being the bones of some old pagan cosmology. I'd just assumed that if anything it would have been pre-Egyptian.

Anyway, we're drifting off topic.

I still say that the idea of an alien being directly responsible for monotheism within the Stargate mythos seams unlikely. What I could buy though is the idea that some elements of biblical mythology could be compatible in a certain context, akin to the scenarios I previously mentioned.

Besides, I think it's a little silly to try and claim that *ALL* human belief systems are a direct result of alien contact. As a species we're perfectly capable of coming up with all sorts of bonkers ideas without any help from E.T.

Yeah, like I said the Islamic nations did a much better job of preserving the actually useful knowledge of ancient Greece & Rome. Mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering etc. By comparison, Europe squandered that legacy. I'm just amazed we managed to make such a huge comeback post-renaissance.

The Islamic Middle East did a good job of persevering of Greek and Roman knowledge and as well as Zoroastrian and Hindu knowledge but after the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258 AD, the Islamic civilization basically regressed. Perhaps, they felt that the Mongols was God's punishment for not being Islamic enough and that is why they became more insular and backward over the centuries.

Christian Europe progressed after rediscovering the ancient Greek and Roman knowledge and also after adopting the Arabic numeral system which itself was copied from the older Hindu numeral system.

Don't get me wrong. Christianity did a lot of good things for Europe and the Americas but we own alot to the Greeks, Romans Pagans and to a lesser extent Hindus, for the Western success over the centuries. They laid the foundation. The Muslims were middle men who preserved and transferred that knowledge to us during trade.

__________________"I've tried atheism and I can't stick at it: I keep having doubts. That probably sums up my position."

Actually I think we owe more to the Hindus that most people think. For one thing they introduced western Europe to the concept of personal hygiene along with soap & shampoo (and pyjamas incidentally.) Had it not been for that, there's a good chance a second major bubonic plague pandemic may have wiped us out for good.

Personally I prefer not to credit a religion for being responsible for *anything* in and of itself. It's the actions of individuals that makes the real difference in the end, not abstract concepts. In which direction, under what roof and to which deity those people pray seems to me about as relevant as what colour hat they were wearing. But that's just me.

I still say that the idea of an alien being directly responsible for monotheism within the Stargate mythos seams unlikely. What I could buy though is the idea that some elements of biblical mythology could be compatible in a certain context, akin to the scenarios I previously mentioned.

Jesus being a descendant of the Atlantis Ancients who tried to get humans to believe in one loving God, instead of all those gods who were mostly Goa'uld imposters, would make sense to me. When he got killed, he ascended, and that sparked the religion.

__________________
A movie aiming low should not be praised for hitting that target.

^I don't think that's quite what he said. IIRC it was more along the lines of "if it weren't for the Dark Ages we'd be colonising space by now". What happened in the Dark Ages was a massive technological regression across Europe caused (by and large) by the collapse of the Roman Empire and the final death throws of Byzantium.

While it may have been a contributing factor in a social context, the spread of Christianity in the west and Islam in the middle east and north Africa was more a symptom of that collapse than a direct cause. They were basically filling a void left by the old religions. Indeed, it was thank to the Islamic nations that a lot of Greek and Roman knowledge was preserved while we were busy burning witches and playing musical thrones (think musical chairs, but with more beheadings and less music.)

Keep in mind that there were a series of Crusades sucking off the cream of the crop in Europe, not to mention a pretty nasty Plague-both factors that slowed European growth of knowledge.

i always saw the last two seasons with the Ori as their take on Christianity.

Because it pretty much was.

This. It wasn't even particularly veiled, with a myriad of obvious parallels.

However, it isn't quite what the OP was asking, which is more akin to why they never showed the roots of our Christianity (or any of the monotheistic religious) to be directly rooted in alien activity. Instead they went down the parallel Origin path. However, by intertwining the King Arthur, Holy Grail, Ark of the Covenant, etc themes, it was still pretty much done as closely as possible without offending too many people.

When Vala found some stones in the last few episodes of season 9 she said she got pregnant without sex and if anyone ever heard of such a thing. Everyone looked at each other and said some stupid answers, and San is like 'Really people?!?' because it was clear they didn't want to piss off the bat shit crazy fucking religious idiots in the USA, so they just never said names.

I think Jesus was really Daniel. Dan went back in time, had the time travel puddle jumper land one whom the fairy tale of Jesus was based on and so Danny boy took over the role, he died, ascended for the 195th time. and boom we have easter.

__________________
The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

When Vala found some stones in the last few episodes of season 9 she said she got pregnant without sex and if anyone ever heard of such a thing. Everyone looked at each other and said some stupid answers, and San is like 'Really people?!?' because it was clear they didn't want to piss off the bat shit crazy fucking religious idiots in the USA, so they just never said names.